When drinking from a liquid container after actuating its tab opening device, the container, in this case a can, no longer safely protects the beverage inside. The filter of this invention not only protects the user from choking on residues such as pulp and seeds found in fruit juices, but also from outside matter, an example of which is insects or solid foreign bodies maliciously placed inside the can.
Although the prior art has addressed some of these problems, the solutions have not been entirely successful. One of the solutions has been the removable cover, one that is removed prior to drinking and replaced afterwards. In Moorehead U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,326 the protector for the aperture is manually actuated by the user which allows for error or even breakage of the protector itself.
Thus there is still a need for a filtering device that is part of the can's top lid, which does not interfere with the opening device, and that is not manually activated but instead is ready to be used by the consumer.